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strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Jun 10, 2019 17:20:18 GMT -5
Nico knew he could easily stop Kelsier's blade from making contact if he tried anything, but somehow the fact that the man just turned away was enough to set his blood boiling. Kelsier knew nothing of his life, knew nothing of what he'd sacrificed or what he'd lived through. Yet this man was willing to attack him for presumed faults. Sure, Nico had made bad decisions. People had died because of him, but he had worked for years to try to fix it. There was no fixing betrayal or the lives that had been lost because of Nico's lack of control. Yet he had come pretty close, hadn't he? "You think you can kill me?" Nico hissed, the words a taunt. "Turn around and fight, then. Don't let me stop you." His small form was practically shaking with anticipation of a real fight. "Better than you have tried, what makes you think you'd even have a chance?" He leveraged his sword, pressing the tip lightly against Kelsier's back. Not enough to hurt, but enough that he knew it was there. "And, for the record?" A disjointed smile spread across Nico's face, clashing disconcertingly with the anger in his eyes. "Those souls you seem so keen on avenging? I'd do it all again." The boy forced himself not to cry with the overload of emotions crashing over him. His powers shook free as Nico lost a bit of his control, and the temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Jun 10, 2019 17:38:57 GMT -5
Kelsier had no doubt that he could kill the prince of the underworld, it he chose to. He’d just replenished his metals when he’d blinked in, and he had one more vial tucked away in his cloak, he was ready for a fight. “Don’t. Tempt. Me.” His voice was quiet and laced with venom, daring Nico to try anything. Daring him to give the Mistborn a reason to cut the smug look off his face permanently. “Are you sure about that?” He continued, still facing away from the demigod. A cruel smirk twisted his lip at the thought of it. “Are you sure you’ve faced someone like me before? Don’t forget where you stand, prince. I’m not from you world.” As the sword touched him, his hand clenched the dagger so tightly it shook, his fingers hurt from holding it. The anger was slowly winning against the edge of his mind that warned him not to do it, don’t do anything rash that you’ll regret, don’t- Those final words felt like something snapping inside him and he turned on his heel, flared pewter for strength and speed, and threw himself at the boy with the glass dagger aimed at his heart, the decision to kill like fire in his hazel eyes, all in a single moment.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Jun 10, 2019 17:51:17 GMT -5
The sceptre fell from Nico's hand, and for a moment he was worried it had broken as it hit the ground, but the truth was he had other things to worry about. Of course if it broke his entire world was at risk of being destroyed, but he needed to stay alive to wield it, right? Thoughts whirled through his head, then disappeared as the battle took over and Nico acted instinctively. Kelsier was moving too fast to be able to dodge, but he clung to the shadows nearest him and disappeared into thin air just moments before the dagger would have hit his mark. He appeared instantaneously several feet away, his sword arching towards Kelsier with as much strength as Nico could muster, but it was obvious he'd never win a battle through strength. Evidently, Kelsier had powers. It made it a more interesting fight, but also a more difficult one, especially as Nico wasn't aiming to kill. He had enough blood on his hands already, he didn't need any more. There was no need for any sort of display to keep Kelsier at a distance anymore. He'd made the impression he had hoped would give him some respite, but it had been the wrong choice. It was just a facet of himself he'd displayed at an aggressive first meeting, hoping to get rid of any vulnerability that could be obvious - Kelsier obviously didn't see him as vulnerable, which was technically a win. Nico was willing to fight for that, but he was fighting with the desperation of a boy who needed to survive, not the detached chill of a royal. Yet Nico was just as confident that Kelsier wouldn't see the difference.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Jun 10, 2019 19:04:39 GMT -5
Kelsier hissed under his breath as he stumbled forward, thrown off balance by his own momentum as his dagger struck air. He caught himself quickly and turned, throwing down a coin as he did and Pushing it down. It snapped to the floor, and since it could no longer move away from him, his Push moved him away from it and into the air. He was barely fast enough. The sword missed him by in inch as he flipped mid-air, it slid through the ribbon-like shreds of his mistcloak as his feet hit the wall and he pushed off, using his momentum to launch himself at Nico from behind, the dagger aimed at his neck with deadly precision. He should have seen the difference. He should have seen that Nico wasn’t fighting the way a cold-hearted nobleman who no longer cared how many they killed did, he was fighting like a Skaa who’d been pushed too far. If he’d glanced at Nico’s dark eyes for just an instant, maybe he would have seen that the “prince” was fighting the he’d fought, the day Mare had died. But he was coming at the boy from behind. So he didn’t see.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Jun 10, 2019 19:18:30 GMT -5
Nico had just enough time to recover, heaving in a breath of air as his body screamed at him to stop - screamed at him that he didn't have that much left to give to the fight. He'd been pushed to his limits for days, it was no wonder he was having a hard time now. He turned as though prepared to go for another exchange of blows, but his eyes widened at the sight of the dagger approaching, much too close. He had no time to react before the fear in his eyes turned into resignation, then the light in them died out. The force of the blow pushed him to the ground, his form scraping against the hard ground. His body lay there, his shirt pushed up by the skid he'd taken across the ground. Pale skin was visible with scars lacing across it, the bottom edge of his ribs painfully visible and yet unmoving. Nico, lifeless, lay on the ground for just a moment - possibly not even long enough to notice - before he disappeared and was replaced by a fully alive version of the boy, this time with two more scars: one across his cheek, mostly faded, and another where Kelsier's dagger had struck the final blow - this also mostly healed. The countdown on the doors started once again now that two lives were present. Five seconds left.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Jun 10, 2019 19:32:15 GMT -5
Kelsier’s eyes widened, almost too little to be seen, as they met Nico’s at the same moment his dagger hit its mark. He landed off balance and fell into a crouch to catch himself, barely even breathing hard after the short fight. He was used to being badly outnumbered, used to beating enemy after enemy after enemy, and this...this felt.... The thin, scarred body may have only been there for an instant, but it was an instant that felt seared into his mind. He’d just reached down and picked up the crimson-stained knife when the body vanished and was replaced by Prince Nico of the Underworld, scarred but very much alive. “How did you...?” Having killed the boy seemed to have taken the edge off the constricting anger in his chest, though it certainly wasn’t gone. He wasn’t sure why...oh. It was the body. The body in his world, the small, scarred body left like trash in the street. The small, scarred body whose blood stained his hands. Five seconds. Until they could leave this nightmare of a room, or until it got worse?
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Jun 10, 2019 19:41:34 GMT -5
Nico watched Kelsier warily as he moved to pick up the sceptre where it had fallen. He settled back against the wall, several feet away from the man. He had lost... so much for not seeming vulnerable. "Prince of the Underworld," he replied with a half-hearted smirk. "You can't kill me." He knew deep down that the House had brought him back - his father, although he'd gotten kinder, would never just allow anyone a second shot at life. There were too many rules broken there, and Nico knew his father was particular about rules. Yet he couldn't understand why the House would choose to bring him back unless it had something much worse in store. Besides, admitting that Kelsier had won? Nico had survived for five years against unbeatable enemies, and then what? He was just killed by some random person in the house? So quickly, too... it seemed a bad omen for things to come. Nico shook his head of the thought. The doors were counting down and then, as they hit zero, they slid open. Nico was almost blinded by the sudden bright light, but he stepped out to try to understand where they were. It looked even more vine covered and reminiscent of a jungle than the room they'd just came from. Stepping out into the light, Nico drew his sword, still keeping a wary eye on Kelsier. He doubted the man was the most dangerous thing there now...
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Jun 10, 2019 19:54:18 GMT -5
Kelsier eyed him, waiting for him to attack. As strange as it sounded, why would the fight be over just because one of them had died? “Heard that one before.” He answered coldly, wiping the knife on his cloak as he spoke. “Funny how most people who say that actually end up being killed. There’s always a way if you put your mind to it,” He didn’t know what to think now. There was no escaping what Nico had said he’d done, how coldly he’d stated he’d do it again. And he’d called himself a prince twice now, a nobleman by another name. They were all the same, and he was fine with killing them all. But he couldn’t quite reconcile that Nico with the one his dagger had pierced, the one that didn’t hit the ground with as much weight as it should have. He shook his head, the fact that he’d killed the boy standing in front of him too much to think about, with everything else spinning in his head like a hurricane. The doors opened. Kelsier’s hands flew up instinctively to shield his eyes, and he walked forward, into the next room that looked very much like the first one. “We’ll settle this another time.” He muttered to the demigod without looking at him. His eyes were busy searching the walls for another countdown. “I don’t feel like killing you over and over again when there’s whatever this is supposed to be happening all around me. Got it?”
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Jun 10, 2019 20:08:39 GMT -5
Nico frowned, his entire body tensing at the words. "Fine. We get out of here you can fulfill whatever revenge fantasy you have mixed up in your head for someone you've never met. As I said, you aren't the most dangerous thing that's tried." His voice was ice, though part of him wished he could just drop the charade. It didn't seem like Kelsier would ever be the type to let Nico just live in peace if he found out the truth. He was too antagonistic to let anyone just go in peace, at least that was how it seemed. Yet Nico, as angry as he had been, knew that if he were to fight now he would just be weaker in his own world. Yet what was in front of him was still so bright. He tried to amass some of the shadows nearest him, but it drew far more from him than it usually did. He took a wobbly step, almost falling to his knees once he had built enough shade for the two of them until their eyes got adjusted to the light. It seemed to be almost an obstacle course... though he didn't understand. He was more concerned why his power - that normally came so easily to him - was now so difficult.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Jun 10, 2019 20:18:41 GMT -5
The words stung, although Kelsier didn’t let it show. Maybe it was the way he said it, or maybe it was just the fact that it was true. They could figure it out after they figured out what this was supposed to be. He had to squint to see anything. Shading his eyes with his hand helped, but it was still hard to make out exactly what all the shapes around him were, until shadows seemed to come to him of their own volition. He glanced at Nico, surprised. It seemed to be the demigod’s doing, but that meant he was giving them both same respite from the bright light instead of only himself, which would have been understandable after what had just happened. Another thing to process later. “It looks like an obstacle course.” He echoes Nico’s thoughts as he took the jungle-like room in. It was filled with platforms and doors and a couple feet in front of him was a perfectly round pool of water. It’s surface was still and as glassy as a mirror. He wiped the specks of blood off his forehead, a confused sort of guilt replacing the last of the anger.
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Post by Protractor on Jun 10, 2019 20:25:50 GMT -5
(No clue where everyone is so I'll just have Cultist blink into the castle and wherever everyone is that's where he is.)
Cultist looked around him.He was just trying to contact the Moon Lord but then he just disappeared."Wait a minute,not this place again!"He looked down to see himself in old ragged clothes,not his purple robe.He felt his face and his mask was no where to be seen."Oh s***!I need a mask!"He quickly found a burlap sack and put it on,poking eye-holes out with his small copper knife.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Jun 10, 2019 20:27:32 GMT -5
Nico took a step forward, perhaps more secure than he should have been with the fact that Kelsier wasn't going to kill him right then than he should have been. He let his own shadows drop, his eyes adjusted enough to see now. He was still shocked by how difficult such a simple task had been. Could it be blamed on his death? Would his powers ever return to their usual strength? Those were questions he didn't have time to deal with at the moment. With a glance back, he let the shadows above Kelsier drop as well. He was right at the edge of the water, though he hadn't yet noticed the blue pin on his aviator jacket that denoted the safety of the liquid. He kneeled down and placed his hand over it before letting it drop in. With another glance back at Kelsier he stepped in, then made his way across, unscathed. He frowned, unsure why they needed to make their way across water, but it was no matter. He didn't even think he'd gotten wet, which was odd. Upon further inspection, his torn black jeans were entirely dry. "I think it's an illusion," he called back to Kelsier. "It felt wet crossing, but it's dry now." The least he could do was make sure they both got out of this gods forsaken room alive, right? He didn't know why, but he felt that was the least he could do.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Jun 10, 2019 20:40:04 GMT -5
Kelsier noticed how tired Nico looked as he waved the shadows away. It surprised him - it hadn’t seemed hard for him to use them in the other room to dodge the mistborn’s attack. He could see better now anyway, and he followed the boy forward, stopping at the edge of the water just as Nico climbed safely out the other side. “Ooh, scary. Phantom water.” He replied, shaking his head at the House’s odd sense of what counted as an obstacle. He stepped in. Scalding pain climbed his leg faster than he could cry out, like being burned alive in fast forward, and steam hissed from his skin until he couldn’t see Nico or anything else and all he could feel was pain and the sense he’d been tricked. And then he was back, safely on the other side of the pool. Wisps of steam cling to him, but other than that there was no sign anything had happened to him. There seemed to be nothing he could say to describe how that had felt, so he let out a shaky laugh instead, because he was alive. “Okay....I take it back....phantom water...is scary....”
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Jun 10, 2019 20:57:12 GMT -5
Nico stared at where Kelsier had been, eyes wide with the horror of what he'd just witnessed. He hadn't expected that. Yet Kelsier was okay... somehow. He probably knew then that the House had brought him back, but honestly Nico didn't care. He was a little more preoccupied by how dangerous this room now seemed to be. "Can... can you jump it?" He asked hesitantly, trying to figure out what the next step would be. He turned to look at what was next, stepping back as he noticed the scalding lava just beside him. It reminded him all too much of the river Phlegethon in Tartarus.. he wasn't particularly inclined to step into that. At least the water had been safe, right? For him... he glanced back, noticing a red pin on Kelsier's lapel. He looked down, surprised to find a blue one on his. "I think... I think you can just walk through this one," he told him, surprised. "I don't know if you want to risk it, but... if you can get past the water..." he shrugged. Chances were Kelsier would just think it was a purposeful death trap on Nico's part, but nobody could say he hadn't tried to be helpful.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Jun 10, 2019 23:54:36 GMT -5
Noah grinned as Rue wobbled, but he held out his hand in case she wanted something steady to lean on. The nice thing about the House was that he was able to have full faith in the fact that he was tangible. He didn't have to worry about any fluctuating energy source that could give out - the House had enough energy to feed off of right there. "You're doing great," he told her quietly, no lies behind his words. He was genuinely impressed. He had fallen off the first hundred times he'd tried to stand on the board, but he'd gotten up every time. "I... yes, I suppose it's like that," he replied, a bit surprised by the comparison. He recalled his younger days when he used to climb trees, getting high enough that the wind felt like it could sweep him away if he let it. It had felt like being part of the sky, for a moment... he supposed that was what he felt like soaring through the air on his skateboard, too, before that had been taken from him. His cheeks reddened as a bit of life returned to the boy as he let himself dwell in the memory. "Hold on," he told Rue softly, leaning down and walking forward, pushing the board with him. He wasn't going to let go of it quite yet - he didn't want to force Rue out on her own, but he wanted her to get used to the feeling of the board moving under her, at least until she felt confident enough to rely solely on her own balance instead of Noah's steady hand. Rue grabbed his hand as her balance faltered, steadying herself and barely managing to keep her feet on the board. Then she remembered to bend her knees. That helped, but she still gripped Noah’s hand for extra support, expecting herself to go tumbling off at any second. “You made this look so easy.” She breathed, but she beamed at the praise anyway. It was a warm, unfamiliar feeling, like burying yourself in a heavy blanket during a snowstorm, and she clutched it close to her heart where it couldn’t fly away. “I climb trees all the time.” She explained, hearing the surprise in his tone. “So I’m used to balancing. I-oh!” Whatever she had been about to say next was cut off as the board moved, and her center of balance shifted. Her feet slid out from under her and she toppled off the board, letting go of Noah’s hand just in time to break her fall and roll on her back instead of landing flat on her face. For a moment she simply blinked up at the sky, too surprised to suddenly find herself on the ground to react. Then slowly, a laugh that started deep in her lungs and worked it’s way up escaped her lips in a musical, almost birdlike sound. She sat up and grinned at Noah, her face flushed and her eyes bright with pure happiness. “That...was awesome. ”Noah shook his head. "Only looks easy cause I spent years and years practicing and got hurt too many times to count," he laughed slightly. He had practically grown up on the skateboard. It had sort of just been his thing, he supposed. He couldn't help but take a deep breath as he remembered what it was like to experience something - anything - for the first time. Rue's first time on a skateboard was a first for Noah, too. It was one of the first times he was able to share joy without remembering doing so before it happened - at least since he died. Everything since his death had been dulled by the fact that he knew it was going to happen. Everything was far too safe that way. "You can tell you climb trees," he replied, his eyes widening just after as he tried to catch her. She rolled on her own and seemed more or less unscathed, but Noah couldn't tell for sure until she straightened up. He wasn't exactly sure what to make of her laughter, but he had to admit it caught on, and he laughed too, the breathless kind where it feels as though you've been working out because the laughter shakes your body so hard. It had been years since he'd felt anything similar. It lasted only for a moment, but it was long enough to make a difference. "Maybe next time you'll stay on for a little bit... and then I can teach you how to jump. It feels like... well, it feels like nothing else I've ever done," he admitted. "You're going to love it."
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strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Jun 11, 2019 0:00:25 GMT -5
mintedstar/fur "Pretty?" Noah repeated, somewhat confused. It was a description that made him smile in spite of himself, relieved by the innocence of small children. He rubbed at the smudge on his cheek, but more thoughtfully and less out of subconscious fear. "My name is..." he hesitated, half of him wishing to give his last name and the other half fighting to give the name that hadn't been stolen from him. The name that hadn't been touched by Whelk. "My name is Noah. Nice to meet you, Amico." He doubted that was actually the little boy's real name, but he wouldn't question it. He knew enough latin to know that amica meant friend, and amico was likely the derivation in one romance language or another - despite what his classmates thought he had actually been quite an astute student. He was about to say something else when he felt the boy grab him around the leg, and he couldn't help but smile again. He took a step forward, surprised how little effort it took to carry Myrnin with him. "Comfy down there?" he asked, his voice friendly but hiding a little bit of laughter. "Yes," insisted Myrnin. His nose was buried into the bridge of Noah's leg and he giggled under his breath as Noah picked him up. Myrnin couldn't do this back home, being the eldest. If he'd even been thinking he might have wondered why he'd latched onto Noah's leg without even hesitating to wonder whether the boy would just kick him away or not. Maybe it was a bit more trust in the people of the Paradox House or maybe it was just his current mood. "Higher!" he insisted, still giggling. His mouth was stretched wide and showed almost all of his teeth. "Higher Noah!" Apparently a quick study in names too. Each footstep was a bit jerky, but Myrnin seemed to be having a lot of fun. After a couple more, he had to roll away back onto the carpet, still laughing though it had quieted a little. "Fun!" he added. "That was fun. What next?" Noah raised an eyebrow, but obliged to the whims of the joyful, shrieking child. He felt a little sad, almost, when Myrnin rolled away. Truth was, he wasn't really entirely sure how to deal with a small child. It had been forever since his younger sister had been this little, and he hadn't been able to be seen by any small children he could think of for years. He sincerely hoped he hadn't lost the touch so many had claimed he had when he had helped babysit or when he had spent time with his baby sister when he was just a kid. He adored little kids, but that didn't mean he knew what Myrnin would enjoy, especially considering he didn't have any toys or games on hand. "Do you... do you know any hand games?" he asked Myrnin. There were a few he knew that he would be willing to teach. At least... he thought he remembered them. It was hard to know sometimes.
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strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Jun 11, 2019 0:08:30 GMT -5
"Do you think you might have done something that gained its attention? Like anything out of the norm?" He pressed on the subject. He could count the multiple times where his summer break was back to back weirdness, gnomes to sentient games, the child psychic going through their garbage too. Merely existing would catch something's attention be it good or bad intentions. A shade of red surfaced on the preteen's flustered features. Proposing ideas no one would take seriously wasn't new but to have others listen for once, not brushing off what was typically labeled as fantasy, caught him off guard. "Um...right, about that. Maybe its using you as bait for someone to enter its world or it wants you to do something? Sorta like I got staged up to slay the multi-bear." He scratched behind his head, irked at his lack of knowledge. He'd feel much better knowing Will was better equipped to face a monster, someone that could actually be there for him. Someone who wasn't so useless they gave him false hopes. Going deeper into the question his curiosity got the best of the boy summoning a glint of glee in his compuzzled expression. "D&D?" He paused in childish exasperation, his serious facade faltered. "Isn't that sorta like Dungeons, Dungeons, and more dungeons? No way!" Will shook his head. "I don't think I did anything out of the ordinary... it was just a normal evening, and I mean we got to the boss of our D&D campaign, but that's no different than a lot of other days, so... I don't know why it's there. It'd be interesting if I weren't in the middle of a life and death situation," Will admitted. He knew he should really have been curious about what it was and why it was there, but the truth was he was a little bit more concerned with whether he was going to survive until sunrise. He really hoped he would, but truth be told he wasn't holding his breath. "Bait?" He repeated, raising an eyebrow. "I would really rather not be bait. But maybe... and what's the multibear?" he questioned, becoming very interested in Dipper's world. "Is that some sort of cool creature from your world? I realize you haven't told me a lot about yours," he admitted, reddening and looking at the ground. "Wait..." he added, a smile spreading across his face. "Dungeons, Dungeons, and more Dungeons? Isn't exactly the same as Dungeons and Dragons, but it sounds really similar! I can't believe we live in two different worlds with two really similar games!" It was clear his excitement was overcoming his worry, and a grin spread easily across his face, his predicament all but forgotten for a few brief moments.
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Post by HᥲꙆƒꙆɩɠᖾt on Jun 11, 2019 0:28:41 GMT -5
One corner of Sandalphon's mouth cracked upwards in a partial smirk. Now he was the one giving unnecessary apologies? Fate did like spinning things around on him, and it seemed she still hadn't lost her touch...
"Seen other worlds?" The archangel repeated, the tv fading into an afterthought upon hearing the other blinker's reply. His expression grew serious again, unsure of how else to react to such things. "Care to elaborate on that?" His tone of voice made it evident that he fully expected Elliot to do so. The other man didn't seem one to play around and spout lies, so if he was telling the truth, to say something like that so casually...
Traveling to other worlds was something only the highest powers in the skydoms could do, beyond even the ability of the Supreme Primarch. In fact, the only entities known to have done so were the Astrals, and the Creator gods themselves. If this man also knew how to do such a thing, Sandalphon had to find out, both to sate his own curiosity and further assess who exactly he was talking to here.
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strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Jun 11, 2019 0:35:14 GMT -5
Nico glanced at Sam, hoping his expression was readable. There was a lot he didn't really want to talk about, especially on the subject of bad rooms. "I... I've seen a lot of bad things happen. But there are lots of good ones too, I suppose. I... well, the bad outnumber the good, for sure, but..." he was close to shutting down and stopping the words, close to opening the door and leaving Sam behind because he didn't want to talk about it, but it was an innocent question. The least Nico could do was answer it honestly. "Part of it is that there are so many neutral rooms that were made bad by personal experience, either at home or here. I don't know how others saw those rooms... whether they were bad or not." Nico's voice was quiet at that. He couldn't quite meet Sam's eye, so he opened the door and stepped in. He found himself in the sky. Well, not exactly in the sky, but close enough which was terrifying enough as it was. He cursed softly under his breath as he looked out over the skyline - the skyline that he was part of, it seemed, perched on the edge of a very tall roof. There were no shadows to travel through, that he could see. The sun was beating down on him, hot and unpleasant, bleaching everything with its light. No shadows large enough to crouch in and move through. There was, it seemed, a bridge between this building and the next, but when he turned back to ask Sam his opinion on taking the bridge, he found he was alone. Sam had been planning to answer - to say something which he hoped would reassure Nico or at the very least apologize for prying into business he was sure he shouldn't have - but as soon as he'd stepped through the door he was no longer in any place that was possible. The light changed in an instant, from dim to completely dark. His eyes twinged painfully as they expanded, complete darkness changing to roughly the same gloom as the hallway had been. There was very little light and the air felt damp. "Nico?" he asked, turning, but he couldn't see the boy nor could he smell him. Attempting to do so, however, nearly caused him to double over, a hand over his nose. He pressed his back against a wall, hissing through his teeth. Chemicals and water and stuff he didn't want to put a name to. Light coming from above him and the sight of which already caused his eyes to sting. He could assume, at least from what he could guess from movies, that this was a sewer. Which meant what? He looked left and right, feeling like he was going to choke. Hesitantly, feeling like a weight was pressing on him, he stopped breathing. It helped, a little, but he felt badly. He'd been able to think for a while that he was human. Right now, everything was telling him otherwise. Right and left were just another tunnel, stretching into places he couldn't see. Hesitantly, he started to go right. "Sam?" Nico whirled around, trying to figure out where the other boy's voice had come from. He had very clearly heard it, but he knew for a fact that the other boy was nowhere near. He couldn't sense the boy's life anywhere. It was interesting. Nico hadn't looked too carefully, but there was something interesting about the aura that Sam projected, about the life force that surrounded him. Of course it hadn't been any of Nico's business, but there was definitely something odd. That wasn't what was important now, though. What was important now was finding Sam and solving whatever puzzle this room wanted them to solve. "Sam, where are you? Can you hear me?" He hoped that the other boy could somehow hear him as clearly as he had heard his name escape Sam's lips. It was way too bright where he was, and Nico felt terribly exposed on the rooftop under the blaring sun, and quite frankly he wanted to get out of the room as soon as possible. He couldn't do that unless he knew where Sam was. "Is there a bridge anywhere near you?" It was worth a shot to ask, at least. Perhaps if they could locate each other they could figure out what the room wanted them to do. Or perhaps finding each other was the challenge.
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strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Jun 11, 2019 0:46:36 GMT -5
Steve stared at Amico for a few moments, realization dawning in him. Not only was Amico from his past, but he was from a very far distant past, before England, even. It was odd - he seemed so very human. It made Steve realize that humans had really always been human - kids had always been kids, and the little boy in front of him was just further proof of that. "Hm? If you ever come to New York I can show you what I've found," he replied, but sucked in a breath when Myrnin suddenly began crying. He wasn't the best at dealing with children, but he felt as though he had to at least try here. "I..." he couldn't help with the sheep issue, that part was clear enough. But maybe he could help out with the stuffed animal. "How 'bout this. You tell me what your favorite animal is, and if I see one in my world I'll buy it for you and carry it until I see you again. Does that sound good?" While the offer was nice - about Steve showing him things - Myrnin had by this time come to realize that wasn't very likely. He was clearly from a time far behind Steve, so what good was it? He wanted to though. Steve seemed nice. He wasn't full on crying, but he was sniffling a bit as he looked down at his shoes, his chest tense and heart thumping against his ears. What he liked? "Would you really?" he asked, so surprised his head jerked up and his wide, wet, plate-sized eyes fixed on Steve's face. Searching it for signs of a joke. What did he like? "I ... I don't know a lot of animals." The wolf-sheep-chair (Shade) came to mind. But then he didn't have the wolf-sheep-chair to see. "Uuuum." He chewed at his (dirty) thumbnail. He was still sniffing a bit, but Steve had successfully distracted him. "I ... I just know my sheep." Or he had. But that thought just brought on another bought of almost crying. Then he thought of the sort of stuffed animal he'd had in the room. "I had a bird dog thing from the house." Him mouth pulled up in a scowl as he tried to describe it. "It ... it had paws and body of a dog, but then a face like a bird and wings like a bird. And the tail was weird because it looked like a long snake with a horse tail on the end." It was hard describing a griffin when you didn't know what one was called. "Of course I would," Steve replied, brow furrowed. "I wouldn't just say something and not follow through with it," he laughed lightly. It was rather sad to him, that Myrnin reacted with such disbelief to a stranger offering to do something nice. Of course it would be rather difficult to find a stuffed animal and blink in with it at just the right time, but that didn't mean Steve wouldn't try. "I can't promise a large one because I probably can't carry that around with me, but I can probably find a way to get you a small one." He listened patiently to Myrnin's explanation of the animal, his brows furrowing as the description became more and more complex. It didn't sound like any animal Steve had ever seen, but chances are it was something from myth that wouldn't be too hard to find. At least Steve hoped it wouldn't be too hard to find... worst come to worst he could probably find a way to make one himself. "I will do my best to either recreate whatever animal it was the house tried to give you, or I'll find a teddy bear, if you don't mind. I won't do that unless I absolutely can't find your friend from the house..." yeah, it sounded unlikely that he'd be able to find that exact animal, but everyone loved teddy bears, right? Steve knew he had one that was still in his house that was far too well loved, not that he'd tell anyone.
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Post by mintedstar/fur on Jun 11, 2019 2:19:18 GMT -5
"Yes," insisted Myrnin. His nose was buried into the bridge of Noah's leg and he giggled under his breath as Noah picked him up. Myrnin couldn't do this back home, being the eldest. If he'd even been thinking he might have wondered why he'd latched onto Noah's leg without even hesitating to wonder whether the boy would just kick him away or not. Maybe it was a bit more trust in the people of the Paradox House or maybe it was just his current mood. "Higher!" he insisted, still giggling. His mouth was stretched wide and showed almost all of his teeth. "Higher Noah!" Apparently a quick study in names too. Each footstep was a bit jerky, but Myrnin seemed to be having a lot of fun. After a couple more, he had to roll away back onto the carpet, still laughing though it had quieted a little. "Fun!" he added. "That was fun. What next?" Noah raised an eyebrow, but obliged to the whims of the joyful, shrieking child. He felt a little sad, almost, when Myrnin rolled away. Truth was, he wasn't really entirely sure how to deal with a small child. It had been forever since his younger sister had been this little, and he hadn't been able to be seen by any small children he could think of for years. He sincerely hoped he hadn't lost the touch so many had claimed he had when he had helped babysit or when he had spent time with his baby sister when he was just a kid. He adored little kids, but that didn't mean he knew what Myrnin would enjoy, especially considering he didn't have any toys or games on hand. "Do you... do you know any hand games?" he asked Myrnin. There were a few he knew that he would be willing to teach. At least... he thought he remembered them. It was hard to know sometimes. "Hand games?" asked Myrnin curiously. "Nope! Can you show me?" Of course he didn't know any. There had never been anyone his age or older to teach him. So that meant he was all alone and certainly hadn't come up with any which he could do on his own. He watched Noah with slight reverence - because here was someone who was not only willing to play with him but also knew games to play! That was amazing to Myrnin. He bounced a little and sat up straight. Even if Noah had lost his touch, Myrnin wouldn't have noticed. As long as Noah was nice, of course he would have Myrnin's undivided attention. "How do you play games with your hands?" Myrnin prompted. "Like ..." He wiggled all the fingers. "I suppose you could always always tell a story or something. But then I just use rocks or sticks."
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Post by mintedstar/fur on Jun 11, 2019 2:28:07 GMT -5
Sam had been planning to answer - to say something which he hoped would reassure Nico or at the very least apologize for prying into business he was sure he shouldn't have - but as soon as he'd stepped through the door he was no longer in any place that was possible. The light changed in an instant, from dim to completely dark. His eyes twinged painfully as they expanded, complete darkness changing to roughly the same gloom as the hallway had been. There was very little light and the air felt damp. "Nico?" he asked, turning, but he couldn't see the boy nor could he smell him. Attempting to do so, however, nearly caused him to double over, a hand over his nose. He pressed his back against a wall, hissing through his teeth. Chemicals and water and stuff he didn't want to put a name to. Light coming from above him and the sight of which already caused his eyes to sting. He could assume, at least from what he could guess from movies, that this was a sewer. Which meant what? He looked left and right, feeling like he was going to choke. Hesitantly, feeling like a weight was pressing on him, he stopped breathing. It helped, a little, but he felt badly. He'd been able to think for a while that he was human. Right now, everything was telling him otherwise. Right and left were just another tunnel, stretching into places he couldn't see. Hesitantly, he started to go right. "Sam?" Nico whirled around, trying to figure out where the other boy's voice had come from. He had very clearly heard it, but he knew for a fact that the other boy was nowhere near. He couldn't sense the boy's life anywhere. It was interesting. Nico hadn't looked too carefully, but there was something interesting about the aura that Sam projected, about the life force that surrounded him. Of course it hadn't been any of Nico's business, but there was definitely something odd. That wasn't what was important now, though. What was important now was finding Sam and solving whatever puzzle this room wanted them to solve. "Sam, where are you? Can you hear me?" He hoped that the other boy could somehow hear him as clearly as he had heard his name escape Sam's lips. It was way too bright where he was, and Nico felt terribly exposed on the rooftop under the blaring sun, and quite frankly he wanted to get out of the room as soon as possible. He couldn't do that unless he knew where Sam was. "Is there a bridge anywhere near you?" It was worth a shot to ask, at least. Perhaps if they could locate each other they could figure out what the room wanted them to do. Or perhaps finding each other was the challenge. Someone was speaking to him and it took a second for Sam to realize it was Nico. This was mostly because something else had been taking his sense of hearing's attention. Running water. Or, well, water-ish. Following it was his best bet, so that had been what he was doing. He was on a raced, probably maintenance platform. Which made it mostly dry and clean, but he could occasionally find clear signs of rats and maybe even raccoons. Bugs too. He tried not to think about it. But he could hear Nico and Nico was expressing the fact that he could hear Sam. Sam took a breath in, regretted it, but started to speak, "Y-yes, I can hear you. Uh, unless the bridge comes underground, then I can't see it." Though this thing might dump out into a river. He was following the flow for that. "Might know where that is in a second. Give you one guess where I am. Rats are included." He hoped Nico wouldn't ask why he just didn't take an easy exit. He'd passed at least two ladders upward so far. But he also knew that even though he could get out, the thing which was waiting for him directly above would probably set him on fire. It was clearly full sunlight from the brief glimpses he'd seen. A bridge, however, might over shade. He was hopeful. "Where are you?" he questioned. "I take it not down here. How can I even hear you anyway?" Some ability? Or was it the House?
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Post by mintedstar/fur on Jun 11, 2019 2:39:28 GMT -5
While the offer was nice - about Steve showing him things - Myrnin had by this time come to realize that wasn't very likely. He was clearly from a time far behind Steve, so what good was it? He wanted to though. Steve seemed nice. He wasn't full on crying, but he was sniffling a bit as he looked down at his shoes, his chest tense and heart thumping against his ears. What he liked? "Would you really?" he asked, so surprised his head jerked up and his wide, wet, plate-sized eyes fixed on Steve's face. Searching it for signs of a joke. What did he like? "I ... I don't know a lot of animals." The wolf-sheep-chair (Shade) came to mind. But then he didn't have the wolf-sheep-chair to see. "Uuuum." He chewed at his (dirty) thumbnail. He was still sniffing a bit, but Steve had successfully distracted him. "I ... I just know my sheep." Or he had. But that thought just brought on another bought of almost crying. Then he thought of the sort of stuffed animal he'd had in the room. "I had a bird dog thing from the house." Him mouth pulled up in a scowl as he tried to describe it. "It ... it had paws and body of a dog, but then a face like a bird and wings like a bird. And the tail was weird because it looked like a long snake with a horse tail on the end." It was hard describing a griffin when you didn't know what one was called. "Of course I would," Steve replied, brow furrowed. "I wouldn't just say something and not follow through with it," he laughed lightly. It was rather sad to him, that Myrnin reacted with such disbelief to a stranger offering to do something nice. Of course it would be rather difficult to find a stuffed animal and blink in with it at just the right time, but that didn't mean Steve wouldn't try. "I can't promise a large one because I probably can't carry that around with me, but I can probably find a way to get you a small one." He listened patiently to Myrnin's explanation of the animal, his brows furrowing as the description became more and more complex. It didn't sound like any animal Steve had ever seen, but chances are it was something from myth that wouldn't be too hard to find. At least Steve hoped it wouldn't be too hard to find... worst come to worst he could probably find a way to make one himself. "I will do my best to either recreate whatever animal it was the house tried to give you, or I'll find a teddy bear, if you don't mind. I won't do that unless I absolutely can't find your friend from the house..." yeah, it sounded unlikely that he'd be able to find that exact animal, but everyone loved teddy bears, right? Steve knew he had one that was still in his house that was far too well loved, not that he'd tell anyone. "What is a 'teddy bear?'" asked Myrnin, sounding slightly concerned. He thought it sounded weird, personally. Then again, a lot of things in the House sounded weird. This didn't mean it did for everyone and clearly Steve found this 'teddy bear' something that he would like. So Myrnin decided to trust him and shrugged. "Okay." He considered Steve for a long moment and then inquired, "You don't look as fancy as Sherlock. But your clothes are still weird." He stepped forward and with a complete disregard for personal space, leaned down and pulled on Steve's sock. Speaking as a boy who rarely saw anything even covering people's feet, he found the odd cloth covering a bit overkill. Why wear two shoes? Then there were another little case and he looked up at bit and poked a finger at Steve's belt. "And this." Then up a bit further, where he pulled at a button on Steve's shirt. "Hummmm?" Then he looked waaaay up at Steve's face, eyes wide and curious. "You're still fancy though. And tall."
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Post by <Raintalon> on Jun 11, 2019 7:59:43 GMT -5
</div>His efforts to not offend Hange weren’t necessary - he’d already been filed away in their mind as a curious anomaly of a kid who didn’t like cookies, and that was that. It hadn’t even occurred to them to take it personally - it was simply a fascinating difference between the two of them. As Myrnin changed the subject, though, they seemed to lose their train of thought momentarily, tapping their chin as they tried to come up with an answer. “Hmmm.....that is a good question. Why did I come outside? I had a goal...of some sort...AH!” Still buzzing with energy from the caffeine, they bounced on their heels, memory flooding back of why they’d come out here on the first place. “There was a, a box. This big, metal, box that looked extremely interesting, so I was going to try to pry the lid off and see what’s inside, you know?” They turned abruptly and closed the gap between themself and the meter box, then began to poke and prod at it, rather like a bear trying to break into someone’s car for some picnic food. “Hmm...just screws holding it closed...if only I had some kind of screwdriver...”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Jun 11, 2019 13:41:29 GMT -5
Nico stared at where Kelsier had been, eyes wide with the horror of what he'd just witnessed. He hadn't expected that. Yet Kelsier was okay... somehow. He probably knew then that the House had brought him back, but honestly Nico didn't care. He was a little more preoccupied by how dangerous this room now seemed to be. "Can... can you jump it?" He asked hesitantly, trying to figure out what the next step would be. He turned to look at what was next, stepping back as he noticed the scalding lava just beside him. It reminded him all too much of the river Phlegethon in Tartarus.. he wasn't particularly inclined to step into that. At least the water had been safe, right? For him... he glanced back, noticing a red pin on Kelsier's lapel. He looked down, surprised to find a blue one on his. "I think... I think you can just walk through this one," he told him, surprised. "I don't know if you want to risk it, but... if you can get past the water..." he shrugged. Chances were Kelsier would just think it was a purposeful death trap on Nico's part, but nobody could say he hadn't tried to be helpful. “No problem.” Kelsier toss a coin casually over his shoulder and Pushed on it, sending it zipping backward until it his the wall behind him and stuck there like a magnet. Since it could no longer move, the effect was to send him into a graceful sort of long leap over the water, where he landed lightly next to Nico and immediately took a step away so that there was a comfortable distance between them. If he wasn’t fighting, he wasn’t fighting at all, and after what had happened back there he has no intention of making the situation between them any more tense than it already was. He Pulled the coin back towards him and caught it. The fact of his own death still stung the back of his mind, and the chance that it was had been the House’s doing and not Nico the Prince’s seemed pretty good now. He half-glanced at the other blinker, trying to read his thoughts in his eyes. Then he noticed the blue pin on his dark clothes, and looked down to see a red one on his own. “You think?” He answered, approaching the steaming lava and eyeing it doubtfully. Normally he would have scoffed at such an obvious attempt to kill him, but after what had just happened, it actually seemed like a pretty valid hypothesis. Besides, apparently death wasn’t a big deal, so what was the worst thing that could happen? “Well, apparently we’re immortal now, so the worst case scenario is dying horribly again, right?” He pointed out, then turned around, facing Nico with his back to the lava. He grinned. And then he closed his eyes, spread his arms, and tipped over backwards into the restless pool of lava.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Jun 11, 2019 13:53:56 GMT -5
Nico watched, silently impressed by whatever Kelsier was using to propel himself. It seemed to be some sort of power, though he couldn't tell now how it worked. Chances were he would never get a chance to ask. Not that he cared all that much, right? He shook away the thought, tensing at how near Kelsier was until he stepped back and air came flooding back into Nico's lungs. It was a safe distance, and though he'd never say so out loud he was immensely grateful for it. He could sense something in Kelsier's tone that wasn't quite suspicion, but the realization rather rankled him. It would have been much easier if Kelsier could just keep on with his obvious dislike and attempts to kill Nico... that was simple and understandable, but he had a feeling they needed each other to get through this room, which meant that uneasy trust had to persist. "I wouldn't be so quick to assume we're immortal," Nico replied, sucking in a breath. He didn't want to outright admit his weakness, but the fact was that something had been taken from him with his first death, and he was worried it meant that they - or at least he - would continue to get weaker with every consecutive one. He hated to admit it, but he relied on his powers more than he probably should have. "Wait!" Nico cried as Kelsier tipped backwards. Panic surged through him, but there was nothing he could do until Kelsier emerged unharmed. He crossed his arms, jaw clenched. There were ways to test out the hypothesis that probably weren't as dangerous as just jumping in face first, but he supposed it had worked, hadn't it? He couldn't hear Kelsier screaming in pain, at least.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Jun 11, 2019 14:29:23 GMT -5
Kelsier opened his eyes, relief washing over him as he realized he wasn’t burning up. The second thing to hit him was how much harder it had felt to Push on the coin. Usually such a simple thing wouldn’t even register for him: he’d been a Mistborn for long enough that it was as natural to him as walking, yet now a headache seemed to threaten like dark clouds on the horizon, as if daring him to try it again. It was like he’d overused his pewter, only he hadn’t He got to his feet and tried to brush himself off, only to realize that he was completely dry. “It seems to be an illusion for me, but I can’t say I recommend you try it.” He said, looking at the more experienced blinker as he spoke. They didn’t trust each other. He still wasn’t even sure whether he regretted what he’d done, although he knew he didn’t want to do it again unless he found out more about the boy and still decided he deserved it. But he could tell from the look in Nico’s eye that the demigod didn’t like this temporary peace treaty situation and neither did he, so he resolved to end it and figure out what he wanted to do as soon as possible. Not now, though. He looked down at the lava covering his feet, then back up, considering their surrender problem. “Do you think you can make it across?”
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Jun 11, 2019 14:30:37 GMT -5
"Sam?" Nico whirled around, trying to figure out where the other boy's voice had come from. He had very clearly heard it, but he knew for a fact that the other boy was nowhere near. He couldn't sense the boy's life anywhere. It was interesting. Nico hadn't looked too carefully, but there was something interesting about the aura that Sam projected, about the life force that surrounded him. Of course it hadn't been any of Nico's business, but there was definitely something odd. That wasn't what was important now, though. What was important now was finding Sam and solving whatever puzzle this room wanted them to solve. "Sam, where are you? Can you hear me?" He hoped that the other boy could somehow hear him as clearly as he had heard his name escape Sam's lips. It was way too bright where he was, and Nico felt terribly exposed on the rooftop under the blaring sun, and quite frankly he wanted to get out of the room as soon as possible. He couldn't do that unless he knew where Sam was. "Is there a bridge anywhere near you?" It was worth a shot to ask, at least. Perhaps if they could locate each other they could figure out what the room wanted them to do. Or perhaps finding each other was the challenge. Someone was speaking to him and it took a second for Sam to realize it was Nico. This was mostly because something else had been taking his sense of hearing's attention. Running water. Or, well, water-ish. Following it was his best bet, so that had been what he was doing. He was on a raced, probably maintenance platform. Which made it mostly dry and clean, but he could occasionally find clear signs of rats and maybe even raccoons. Bugs too. He tried not to think about it. But he could hear Nico and Nico was expressing the fact that he could hear Sam. Sam took a breath in, regretted it, but started to speak, "Y-yes, I can hear you. Uh, unless the bridge comes underground, then I can't see it." Though this thing might dump out into a river. He was following the flow for that. "Might know where that is in a second. Give you one guess where I am. Rats are included." He hoped Nico wouldn't ask why he just didn't take an easy exit. He'd passed at least two ladders upward so far. But he also knew that even though he could get out, the thing which was waiting for him directly above would probably set him on fire. It was clearly full sunlight from the brief glimpses he'd seen. A bridge, however, might over shade. He was hopeful. "Where are you?" he questioned. "I take it not down here. How can I even hear you anyway?" Some ability? Or was it the House? "Underground?" Nico repeated, shaking his head. It didn't seem fair to him that he was placed out here up on the rooftops where he felt exposed and there were no shadows to jump through, and Sam was underground... and seemingly wasn't too fond of it. It was probably a game on the House's behalf, but that didn't mean Nico had to like it. "If there's a river let me know... I don't see one up here. I'm a rooftop somewhere. It looks like a pretty big city but the buildings are all at least somewhat level which is..." he shrugged. It was strange, he had to admit, but he had gotten used to strange in the House. That was part of the charm, he supposed. What would have been even weirder to him would probably have been just appearing in a normal city, and not an oddly level one. "Watch out for the rats," he added absentmindedly, hoping that they wouldn't be too huge an issue for Sam. Hopefully the boy wasn't afraid of them. "I... I really don't know how I can hear you, but I'm not about to question it in case the House decides we're ungrateful," Nico replied. He had to admit, it was better being exposed when he at least felt that there was someone he trusted within earshot - even if earshot was artificially enhanced.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Jun 11, 2019 14:40:05 GMT -5
Nico nodded, eyes closing as he forced himself to meld into the few shadows there seemed to be nearby. He materialized on the other side of the lava, almost toppling over as he did so. He caught himself just in time and straightened up in the hopes that Kelsier wouldn't notice how much the leap had taken out of him. He didn't know how many of those he could do, and he could feel the shadows wearing away at him. There wasn't time to worry about that now. Once on the other side he took a step forward, staring at a wall that seemed to be almost climbable. He cursed under his breath again, well aware that he was probably a bit too short to do it on his own. With a glance back at Kelsier, he took several steps back and took a running start, then pushed himself into a leap, his fingertips just barely grasping the stone ledge. He scrabbled at it, trying to get a better purchase, but he couldn't hide the fact that he was just hanging there in what felt like an extraordinarily undignified manner. He shook his head and dropped to the ground, wiping his hands off on his clothing. "There's gotta be a better way to do that," he muttered, shaking his head.
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